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63 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are a few types of human intellectual inquiry? |
-Human philosophies -Social sciences -Fine arts -Technology -Religions |
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How can we attempt to answer the question what is science? |
-Public perception -Define elments of science -Look at what scientists do -Contrast with non science elements |
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Breakdown science into four boxes. |
- Knowable real universe -Scientists imperfect model of universe -Doing science, building the imperfect model -Imperfect scientists doing science |
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What are Dewitt's corresponding terms to the four boxes of science? Define. |
-True reality: Universe -Theories of truth: Model of Universe -Worldviews: Model of Universe |
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Is there a knowable universe? |
- Yes -Immense spatial and temporal scales to deal with -So must look for regularities in nature and defining laws |
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Can we build a model of the universe? |
Hypotheses, theories, paradigms are building blocks. Science has been successful, so yes! |
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What are five of the assumption used to build model of universe? |
-There is a universe -Universe is rational -Universe can be analyzed locally -There are laws -The universe can be described by math -These assumptions are universal -There are ultimate laws of science -Best theories are beautiful |
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Define science. |
A unified group of theories and paradigms that describe or explain the natural universe around us |
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In "real life" how does science work? |
-Creativity important -Falsification -Publish results -Role of scientists muddles work |
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What are some examples of non-science? |
Anything that does NOT allow falsification Astrology, creationism, religion
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What is common sense? |
Group of beliefs shared by most people Set of practical rules Learned by experience, authority, intuition |
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Why is science unnatural? |
World not constructed on common sense basis Want to confirm rather than refute ideas |
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Science vs Tech |
-Useful product rather than knowledge -Much older than science -Provides practical advantage to human activities -Needs no understanding |
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Time science started? |
585BC in Ionia Ancient Greece |
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First early philosopher to practice science? |
Thales of Miletus |
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Why did science develop at this time in history? |
-Rise of democratic states where citizens played significant role in government -Increased standard of living for middle class -New alphabet and rise in literacy -No strong centralized religion |
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Who were the first philosophers/scientists? |
Businessmen + civic leaders |
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What were the initial elements of Greek astronomy? |
-Earth hangs at center of universe -Stars are due to rings of fire shrouded by clouds -Earth is sphere -Five planets plus sun + moon revolve around Earth |
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What were the initial elements of Greek matter? |
-All matter composed of earth, air, water, fire -Planets / sun / stars made of aether -Materials composed of invisble particles, all else is void |
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What were the initial elements of Greek motion? |
-Natural motion (up/down) -Forced / violent motion -Animate motion (animals moving) |
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What were the initial elements of Greek time? |
-Passage of time occurred -Concerned with whether universe was eternal or changing |
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What were the initial elements of Greek mathematics? |
-Euclid 300BC father of geometry -Pythagoreans: advanced geometry, tried to link math + nature of matter to form of religion |
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What did women have to do to be involved in science? |
Act like men |
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What is a hypothesis? |
Proposed explanation for an observable phenomenom |
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What is a theory? |
-Well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of natural world, based on body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation. -Analytic structure designed to explain a set of empirical observations |
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What do the best theories do? |
-Explain kinds of events / data -Be supported by large amounts of data -Broad and show functional relationships -Simple and self-consistent |
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What is a paradigm? |
-Group of interrelated theories that explain larger component of science -Conceptual framework, theories, methods, and limits of science |
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Examples of paradigms? |
-Geocentric vs Heliocentric -Quantum mechanics -Plate tectonics |
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Who described paradigm shifts? |
Kuhn |
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What is the paradigm shift process? |
Normal science Crisis revolution Some new normal science |
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What is a worldview? (Dewitt) |
Interrelated set of beliefs, with core beliefs more important |
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What was the cultural setting of the first paradigms? |
Alexander the Great had conquered most of world by 323BC Upon death, empire broke up, but maintained cultural connections Alexandria (Egypt) became center of knowledge |
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What were the first three paradigms? |
- Nature of matter -Nature of motion - Astronomy |
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Nature of matter. |
-Aristotle's four fundamental material prevailed -Strato showed air has substance and is comprised of atoms / voids -Sun / planets/ stars composed of aether |
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Nature of motion. |
Three types: natural, unnatural/violent, animate -Natural motion was result of attraction of four fundamental materials -Materials rich in earth/water moved down -Air/fire moved up -Speed of motion proportional to weight
Strato showed that speed increase with time, and is proportional to weight
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Who showed that for vertical motion speed is not proportional to weight? |
Philoponus |
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Astronomy. |
-Eratosthenes calculated diameter of Earth -Spherical earth at center of universe -Aristarchus the "Heretic" believed sun was at center -Stars moved together -Stars remain same size -Planet/sun size changes with seasons -Ptolmey mathematically calculated motions of planets |
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What is retrograde motion? |
The appearance that an object in the direction opposite to that of the other objects in the system. How Mars appears on Earth |
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Did scientific developed stop at end of ancient greece? |
No! Slowed down, affected by new governments / religions |
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T/F: The Arabs embraced learning more so than the Christians. |
T |
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What was the new field the Arabs founded? |
Alchemy |
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What is Alchemy? |
Physical domain of existence Physical alchemy led to chemistry Explored transmuting materials |
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Other than Arab / Greece worlds, was science developed anywhere else? |
China, but mostly influenced by philosophy / religions |
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Describe science in China. |
Naturalist philosophy came out of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Moism, Legalism Five elements and two force Missing element was lack of foundation of theories verifiable by experiment |
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How fast is light? |
300,000 km/sec |
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How many stars? |
5 x 10^22 |
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What is logic? |
Study of principles of correct reasoning |
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What is deductive reasoning? |
All dogs are animals, this is a dog, therefore this is an animal - accepted general statement applied to individual |
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What is inductive reasoning? |
Set of individual cases is studied, observations applied to general principle |
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What is scientific creativity? |
- Knowing which problem to work on - Knowing when to approx results - Knowing which experiemnts to do - Recognizing relationships |
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What is theory laden data? |
Theories define concepts by which facts are interpreted |
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How is science a process? |
An approach of problem solving or method of attainment of knowledge about natural world that involves the search for mathematically described, testable theories. |
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When were humans brains large enough to formulate philosophical ideas? |
500,000 years ago |
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What differentiated Muslim science from Greek science? |
Muslim's did more experiments |
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What made China different in scientific development? |
Mostly technology based |
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How did Aristotle deteremiend the Earth was a sphere? |
-Earth's shadow on moon during eclipse is curved -Ship's mast is last part seen as ship sails away -Altitude of north star changes systematically with latitude |
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When / who developed the "atomists" ideas? |
~435 BC, Leucippus of Miletus |
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What about the death of Alexander the Great created a good environment for science? |
Helenistic world with kindred rulers broke down many of the societal and political barriers that were present before |
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What was the center of greek learning? |
Lyceum of Athens |
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Apollonius |
~210BC Explain solar/planetary motions by aruging there were different circular motions Different orbits |
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Ptolmey |
~150AD Developed detailed catalogue of star and planetary motions Developed final geocetnric model of universe |
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What were five elements and two forces? |
- Water, fire, wood, metal, earth - Yin, yang |
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What did Chinese lack in their science? |
Foundation of theories verifiable by method of experiment |
